A scheduled visit by the large-capacity Sun Princess cruise ship to Santorini (April 14th) was canceled due to congestion concerns.
Princess Cruises emailed booked passengers that their Aegean voyages will no longer include Santorini Island Greece due to overcrowding issues. The decision was made to avoid potential congestion and ensure a better overall vacation experience.
Guests were notified of the itinerary change, with the company expressing regret for any inconvenience or disappointment caused by the alteration.
Originally scheduled to visit Santorini on June 11th, Sun Princess will now stop at Chania Crete instead.
The decision comes as Santorini braces for a high volume of visitors, with 4 other ships also set to dock on June 11. The cumulative effect of these arrivals, coupled with the Sun Princess' capacity of 4,300 passengers, could result in 17,000+ cruise travelers descending upon the island in a single day.
Santorini, with its resident population of ~15,000, annually attracts millions of tourists. This influx presents a considerable disparity, with some estimates suggesting 1300+ tourists per resident.